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Tim BontempsESPN
PHILADELPHIA — The 76ers announced Tuesday afternoon that Ben Simmons has been suspended one game for conduct detrimental to the team, which will cause him to miss the team’s season-opening game in New Orleans against the Pelicans on Wednesday night.
The statement was released late in the team’s practice Tuesday, after Simmons had been thrown out of practice by 76ers coach Doc Rivers, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Essentially, Simmons was tossed for refusing to participate in the next stage of the session, sources told Wojnarowski.
Simmons’ reluctance to physically and mentally engage with the Sixers since his return has been a consistent theme, sources told Wojnarowski.
Tuesday was the third straight day Simmons had practiced with the team after clearing the NBA’s reentry health and safety protocols Friday. He returned to the team on Oct. 11 after missing the first two weeks of practice, as he held out in the hopes of getting his trade request from the offseason fulfilled.
He worked with the second team in practice both Sunday and Monday, and immediately left the court the moment both practices ended.
Rivers had previously declined to say when Simmons would return to the court with the team for a game.